Geochemical characteristics of fluoride in groundwater of Gimcheon, Korea: lithogenic and agricultural origins |
| |
Authors: | Yeongkyoo Kim Jong-Yong Kim and Kangjoo Kim |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Geology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea;(2) GyeongSangBukDo Government Public Institute of Health & Environment, Youngchon, GyeongSangBukDo, 770-805, Korea;(3) Department of Environmental Engineering, Kunsan National University, 573-701 Kunsan, Korea; |
| |
Abstract: | The occurrence of fluoride in groundwaters can be influenced by many factors. In Korea, the fluoride-rich groundwaters are
normally associated with rock types, especially granite and gneiss. In Gimcheon, high-fluoride groundwaters (up to a maximum
of 2.15 mg/L) were observed with bimodal distribution of concentrations. The groundwater in this area showed relatively high
concentrations of anthropogenic chemicals such as nitrate, chloride, and sulfate. Statistical analysis showed that fluoride
is positively correlated with pH, alkalinity, sodium, and lithium, indicating that the interaction with granite is the main
cause enriching its concentration. In Gimcheon, δ18O data of groundwater showed a negative correlation with nitrate and can be used as an indicator of groundwater age. The four
samples of fluoride-rich groundwater were plotted in the light δD and δ18O region, showing that they were the result of long water–rock reaction. However, other groundwater with a low-fluoride concentration
was evenly distributed throughout all δD and δ18O ranges and did not show a statistically significant correlation with nitrate, indicating possible mixing with another source
of fluoride. Considering the influence from the surface on the geochemical characteristics of groundwater in this area, anthropogenic
sources including phosphate fertilizer containing fluoride and pesticides may also have partly contributed to the concentrations
of fluoride in the low-fluoride groundwater. The scattered distribution of fluoride-rich groundwater and the significant correlation
with lithium suggest that pegmatite is the main rock type increasing fluoride concentration in this area. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|